Put simply, misogyny is hate against women and girls. It can be found across different parts of society: among adults and young people, at home, at work, and in schools.
In some contexts, misogyny is becoming less common. Traditional ideas about gender roles are being challenged and replaced with values of gender equality and mutual respect. But in many schools and classrooms, misogyny is escalating, harming girls’ mental health and putting them at risk of harm.
While misogyny can deeply harm young girls’ mental health, parents, teachers, schools, and communities can take steps to prevent this harm – and transform teenagers’ behaviours. This blog offers some basic information about misogyny and mental health that every parent needs to know.
What Forms of Misogyny and Sexism Do Teenagers Experience?
Misogyny can take a lot of different forms. Some of these are overt, like instances of violence, harassment, and overt sexist insults. In other cases, it’s more hidden, involving offhand comments and differential treatment. It’s important for both parents and teenagers to recognise and identify all different kinds of misogyny.
Some examples of misogynistic attitudes and behaviours include:
- comments that express belief in male superiority
- comments that suggest teenage girls should only take specific gender roles
- comments that suggest teenage girls should behave in certain ways, such as not speaking loudly, not taking space, or not challenging male opinions
- sexualised, threatening, objectifying, or intimidating language
- sharing sexualised photographs or pictures
- sexual harassment
- gender-based verbal, emotional, or physical violence
The Influence of Online Misogyny in Schools
There are many causes of misogyny among young people. Sometimes, misogynistic ideas are transferred from parents to children or spread through friendship groups and social circles. But one of the most significant causes is online misogyny.
Online misogyny has increased alarmingly in the past 15 years. In some social media spaces, influencers push forward narratives that women are fundamentally inferior to men. They use these narratives to justify and encourage harassing and controlling behaviours towards women and girls. This international network of influencers and communities is known as the manosphere.
Within the manosphere, women and girls are often presented as illogical, selfish, and scheming. On the other hand, men and boys are depicted as the ‘victims’ of everyday society. Some social media influencers share advice on how to coerce and deceive women. Others encourage extreme violence and harm.
At the same time, online porn – first accessed by boys at an average age of 13 – often contains explicit racism, misogyny, and degrading sexual acts.
As more and more young people are exposed to the manosphere, its narratives are having a big impact on the way young people think and behave. Social media algorithms can draw teenage boys into a world of controversial and extreme opinions. Teenagers tend to be disproportionately concerned with the way their friends perceive them, making them particularly vulnerable to adopting these views.
In one study, 76% of secondary school teachers and 60% of primary school teachers reported that they were extremely concerned about the influence of online misogyny in their schools. In the UK, a survey found that 80% of 16-17-year-old boys had heard of Andrew Tate, a well-known member of the manosphere that promotes extreme misogyny.
“Microaggressions”: Hidden, Everyday Sexism
Not all instances of sexism or misogyny are easily recognised. Sometimes, even the person making a sexist comment isn’t aware of the harm they’ve caused- and the person receiving the comment may feel bad without being able to clearly explain why.
“Microaggressions” are brief, everyday comments or actions that communicate hostile, negative, or insulting messages to women or other oppressed groups. Sexist microaggressions devalue or degrade someone because they are a woman.
Teenagers are increasingly exposed to overt sexism – but also to hidden, everyday microaggressions. Microaggressions are linked to both physical and psychological health concerns. A 2021 study among adolescents aged 14-18 years found that girls who had experienced gender-related microaggressions in the last month were more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Misogyny and Mental Health
Research shows that experiencing misogyny and sexism can seriously affect women’s mental health. Gender-based discrimination is linked to depression, psychological distress, and worse mental functioning. Over the past 10 years, depression among teenage girls in the US has increased rapidly and disproportionately, coinciding with a rise in sexual violence.
Misogynistic attitudes and behaviours often sexualise and objectify women’s bodies. This can cause teenagers to objectify their own bodies – known as self-objectification. Self-objectification is associated with body shame and disordered eating symptoms.
Misogynistic influencers often also spread hate against LGBTQ+ people, expressing homophobic, transphobic, and queerphobic opinions. This increases discrimination and violence against groups of young people who already experience high levels of victimisation and abuse. LGBTQ youth report greater anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress than heterosexual young people.
Misogyny doesn’t only harm girls, transgender, and non-binary people. It also damages and restricts boys and men. For example, toxic masculinity discourages boys from seeking help for mental health issues or openly expressing emotions like sadness or anxiety. This can seriously affect teenagers’ mental well-being and prevent them from receiving the support they require to feel better.
Misogyny and Identity Development
Adolescence is a time of identity exploration. During their teenage years, young people develop their sense of self, explore personal values, and form beliefs and aims. Their identities are usually very malleable and certain experiences can shape their future selves.
This means that experiences of sexism and misogyny have a particular power to change the way teenagers see themselves. Without exposure to alternative feminist ideas, teenage girls may internalise misogyny and incorporate it into their identities. This can affect young women for the rest of their lives.
What Can Parents Do?
Misogyny is a huge social problem, but it is not irreproachable. Misogyny and sexism can be challenged, preventing harm among young people and adults alike.
Here are some tips for parents about how to combat misogyny effectively.
Speak About Misogyny
Unfortunately, misogyny is a part of the reality of young people’s daily life. It’s important to have open conversations with your child about misogyny and sexism, including where it comes from, why it is harmful, how to recognise it, and how to address it.
Misogyny is a big topic that requires more than one discussion. Be ready to raise the issue at different times with a young person, especially when it’s related to something they’ve experienced.
Call Out Misogynistic Attitudes and Behaviours
Parents should always call out misogyny when they see or hear about it. Misogyny spreads dangerous ideas about women and girls. When parents and other adults don’t call it out, it cultivates an environment that accepts or even supports it.
Sexist attitudes are often ingrained in people’s way of thinking – even young people’s. This means that misogyny often goes unnoticed. It’s important to be alert to more covert forms of misogyny and challenge it when it occurs.
Teach about Gender Stereotypes
Even growing up in today’s society, it can be hard for young people to break away from gender roles and stereotypes. These stereotypes are often reinforced by online content, and teenagers may feel like they have to act a certain way to fit into a specific gender role. Boys may feel pressured to be ‘manly’, contributing to toxic masculinity and harm against women, girls, and non-binary people.
It’s important for parents to speak to young people about where gender norms and stereotypes come from – and how society’s ideas about gender have changed.
Encourage Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a key tool in combatting misogyny. Parents should support teenage boys to think critically about misogynistic ideas they encounter, whether that’s online, in school, on TV, or even in the family.
Equally, parents should support girls to understand the signs of abusive and discriminatory behaviours and respond safely.
Contacting Schools
Combatting misogyny is a huge social responsibility that shouldn’t just fall on parents’ shoulders. Schools can also play a big role in shaping young people’s ideas and behaviours, as can community groups, organisations, and institutions.
As a parent, you can contact your child’s school to ensure they take action against misogyny. You could write a letter to the school’s headteacher to ask what they are doing to combat misogyny and sexism and ask that the school applies a whole-school approach to tackling sexism.
A whole-school approach to tackling sexism aims to run a school according to gender-equal policies, led by teachers who openly challenge gender norms and sexism and encourage equality and respect. Schools should teach students about stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination and teach values of respect, empathy, and fairness.
Schools should also give classes that directly address misogyny, teaching children skills and strategies to recognise and challenge discriminatory behaviours.
If you’re concerned about specific incidents of sexism at your child’s school, you can raise these issues with their teacher or a more senior staff member.
Young People and Mental Health Support
Preventing and challenging misogyny is the best way to protect young people from the harm it causes. But when harm does occur, teenagers should have the support they require to work through and recover from their experiences.
When misogyny, sexism, or other experiences lead to mental health issues, it’s important that they access professional support. This usually involves some form of therapy or counselling, such as individual therapy, group therapy, or somatic therapy.
If you’re concerned about a young person’s mental health, you could have an open conversation about how they’re feeling and encourage them to seek professional support. You could also reach out to a mental health professional for advice.
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